So the volcano has had a recent obsession with erupting and spewing ash across our state. The airport has been shut down on and off for about a week now, and Saturday we got a lovely dusting of the nasty stuff. You could taste the grit in your mouth, your throat felt scratchy, and it smelled like a freshly put out camp fire outside. Sunday we stayed inside ALL DAY due to the ashfall and minor health risks associated with being out in it, we didn't drive either - very bad for vehicles. To lighten up the day, we put up the tent in our house and had some fun with that!

Here are some pics of the ash. It is a normal, bright day out, and the snow is dark and gray - yuck!

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Friday morning, Mike's flex day, we decided to go to the indoor water park. Avery loves the pool, but we just have not made it to the water park until now. The water was very warm, and he had a lot of fun. He even went belly first in the water and blew bubbles by himself like he does in the tub!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Sunday we woke up to 6" of fresh snow, and we continued to get about another inch throughout the day. Although I am more than ready for spring (ha, ha, ha... we have more than a month to go) I just love a fresh snow fall. I think this has rubbed off on Avery... he loves the snow!

Not sure if you have heard... but we have a volcano erupting here... literally. My dad was even caught in 1/4" of ash fall (very unhealthy, and very bad for mechanical systems as well). A risk we take living where we do I guess.

But in spite of the "real" volcano... we made an "Avery volcano"!!!!! (the light was really flat so kind of hard to see the definition in the snow photos)

Mount Avery starting to stir

Mount Avery begins to rumble, small pyroclasitc flows are visible

Duck for cover - Mount Avery is alive!!!!(yes, mom is a nerd)

WORDS

Avery is by no means at the top of his class for speaking, but our doc says he is doing just fine... actually, none of his buddies say more than a couple words on their own right now. They are good at repeating, but not necessarily spitting the words out at the appropriate times... so I don't feel so bad (one even took their kid to a speech therapist, and no worries... so that is that!) He is also getting very good at pointing to objects in books as we say them... not just his favorites either.

But Avery's new word is "hi". He loves to say it on the phone, to his bear, to me after waking up... his new favorite word. He is also starting to say bah-bye... yes, BAH-bye, cracks me up. He also likes "beep" after the microwave or oven.... he stands at either of them and says "beep, beep, beep". He is getting great at his alphabet too.

Now that I am thinking about it I think these are his words right now:

up

down

on

off

hi

bah-bye

beep

eddie

mama

dada

door

ball

night night

i think those are his words... he repeats lots of words well, but i think these are the ones he uses on his own..

NEW RIDE

This weekend we also got a new ride for Avery. A chariot! I am so excited, we waited a long time to get one. I am cheap, so I have been watching craigslist all winter and those suckers go as fast as they are posted, and for only like $100 cheaper than new.... so we finally broke down and got one. I am so excited because it can be used as a jogger, a bike trailer, and as a ski trailer (you pull it behind you as you x-ski). I am most excited to take him skiing in it! yahoooo! And bike trips this summer! It is required they wear a helmet if biking, so he got a very studdly new helmet too! Too much snow to bike right now, but we are certainly ready!

Guess I had a lot to say today.... too much going on in my head with my friends recent news. Better to write it here than bore too many friends on the phone right!?! :)

i found out yesterday a dear friend of mine, with an 18 month old girl, just left her husband. oh shit! Yes, I had not seen her in a few months, we just kept missing each other, Avery or I had a cold/flu like every week of Jan & Feb and this, that and the other thing kept us from catching up more than email. They came over for a play date yesterday and I got the news. She said she has been keeping these feelings bottled up inside and has not really talked to anyone about it for a very long time. I was stunned and I can't stop thinking about it... literally. As you can tell I cannot even write a complete sentence right now.

She is a stay at home mom, and moved in with her sister. They don't plan on divorcing at the moment due to religious beliefs - but she has been moved out for 4 weeks now. Stunned, still totally stunned. I just cannot stop thinking about what happened, when, why, how this changes her entire life ahead of her, and especially her daughters life. The minute it came out of her mouth I cried... not sure why, but I couldn't control it... and then we both cried for quite some time together.

It makes you check in with yourself, your true self, and realize just how extremely happy I really am. I did a lot of listening yesterday and not a lot of questioning - but as she was talking, when she was listing some of the things that went wrong, inside I was saying to myself "thank god i don't feel that way about my spouse right now", "thank god i don't feel that way about decisions I have made right now", "thank god i don't feel that way about my life right now". I was no way comparing myself to her in a spiteful way... but it was more of a check and balance, spur of the moment response in my head. I feel exhausted just thinking about the decisions she has had to make, the decisions that lie before her, and if I was in that situation what I would do next. She is very strong, stronger than I think I would ever be.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Today we went to the Zoo! It was a chilly 20°, but we still had fun! The tigers came out to see Avery - it is amazing how big they are when you get that close! Avery did his best Tiger impersonation but they didn't feel like talking back :)

On another note - I got my hair cut and highlighted today and I love it! yahooooooo! Nothing crazy, but it was just enough change to make me happy!

Friday, March 20, 2009

So I don't know if spring has got to me or what... well lack of spring where I am right now... in about 2 feet of snow. But I felt the need for more color. I got a light/cardigan style sweater with bright red poppies on it.... yes, that is right, red. For anyone who knows me this is major. And I made some very simple necklaces last night to add a little color to what I normally wear. Now that Avery does not insist on yanking necklaces off I have started to wear them occasionally.

On another note, I am having a major sweet tooth lately. I went to a camp last week and got lots of snack food, which we didn't eat any of because we were so busy or tired. And now they are here at the house and I find myself eating something sweet everyday since then... twix, m&ms, gushers... you name it. (no - i am not pregnant) But my addiction this week cannot be good for my waistline... which I have been working very hard at getting back to normal! :)

Also, in the name of spring I am getting my haircut and highlighted tomorrow! yeah! It has been a long time. I think I have gotten my haircut like twice since Avery was born.... sad, very sad. But it is just not the first thing I think of doing with my spare time. Hope it goes well!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

So we are part of an organic produce box community. Each week get a box filled with organic produce from the Northwest - produce that is in season and delicious. Living where we do, fresh produce is not always at its peak by the time it gets to us - let alone organic. And it is fun because they pick the contents for that week.

Avery loves helping unpack the box... this week we let him really dive in. He even got to eat a pear for the first time all by himself. He loved it!

My family loves banana bread! Avery eats a banana every morning for breakfast and I always buy extra thinking we will have some left over to make banana bread... but our monkey seems to always eat them before they get ripe enough to make bread. But, low and behold we made it today! Here is the recipe if anyone would like it. It is the best recipe I have found... from Cooking Light (I LOVE cooking light recipes!).

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Avery got his very first gold fish today... well not just one, but two! We have yet to name them, but I am sure that won't be too hard. So far Avery is very excited about them and I hope they live for awhile :)

Also, today was the first day that Avery put two words together! "hi eddie". Eddie was also his first word... if only our dog knew how much Avery loves him.

It is that time of year again to break out the sunglasses - not one of Avery's favorite things. But, we got him a very cool new pair of sunglasses and as long as we are telling him how cool he looks he does not seem to mind wearing them! But he does look pretty cool :)

Yesterday Avery decided to entertain his black sheep. He grabbed a book, sat down with his sheep and 'read' to him, put sheep's nose in the book to make sure he got a good look at the pictures on each page. A car went by outside, so he got up and shoved sheep's nose to the window so he could see. Avery had sheep tickle his own foot and then giggle. And he insisted that sheep have a drink of his water before he did out of his cup. This continued for about an hour and it was absolutely adorable.

Monday, March 9, 2009

So Avery and I go to Story Time every week at the library. At the end of story time the kids get to practice patience and wait in line to get a hand stamp that corresponds with that weeks lesson. Avery loves this activity. He loves the hand stamps even more - so much that he always asks for a stamp on each hand instead of just one. He has now found a 'hand stamp' of his own at the house (a wooden letter block). He insists on giving himself 'stamps' throughout the day and to us as well. Very cute.

Over the weekend we had a going away dinner for a friend at a local restaurant which serves delicious milkshakes! Avery and I shared a strawberry shake together :)

Saturday, March 7, 2009

It is always fun, lots of people, tourists, and dogs. Avery enjoyed himself, but he may have been more intrigued by the many people in fur rather than the dogs. He sees a dog everyday, what is so special about lots of them :)

Yesterday my good friend got married. They decided Wed. night that they were going to get married on Friday, 3-6-9. It has been in the works for a long time, but last week decided it was time. But that is just like them :) I was the 'Witness of Honor' and the photographer. About 10 people attended, and honestly, it was beautiful.I am getting more and more familiar with my camera and getting pictures that I am actually pleased with. I hope the married couple enjoy them too.

Today I am feeling much, much better. First day in a week I can say that. The stomach flu is nothing to mess with - I hope it never comes back! I was feeling well enough last night that we took my parents out to dinner at a nice steak house for watching Avery all day while I was helping with the wedding. Maybe steak cures upset stomachs :) I am going with that theory for now!

Today we are headed to the start of the Iditarod. It is sunny and beautiful out. Should be fun.